In general, controlled devices such as a television and air conditioner are remotely controlled using a specific control device typified by a remote controller provided for the controlled devices.
Today, it is common that each household includes a plurality of controlled devices installed in the house. Meanwhile, it is troublesome for users to operate different control devices to control many controlled devices.
In recent years, since information devices communicable with other devices such as smartphones are widely spread, techniques are being developed which provide information devices with functions of a remote controller so as to allow a user to control a plurality of controlled devices using a single information device. In this case, the user needs to specify controlled devices to be operated by the information device before starting control.
PTL 1 discloses a technique that causes an information device to store beforehand, images of surroundings of each controlled device in association with the controlled device, that causes, when operating a specific controlled device, the information device to capture images of surroundings of the controlled device to be operated so that the information device compares the stored images with the captured images to thereby identify the controlled device to be operated.